Conquering the Movie Premiere Side of EventsConquering the Movie Premiere Side of Events

What happens when an introductory meeting turns into an ask for a high-profile movie premiere project? 

If you’re Eric Tremble, you pull your team together and get to work.  

Tremble is the founder of Avenge Creative, a marketing and entertainment agency that does creative work, including press junkets and move premieres, for Hollywood events. He has a small team, but their approach to event production has allowed them to work with some of those most creative minds, doing press junkets for Wicked, Barbie, A Quiet Place, and other projects that have made their mark on the world.  

In this case, they were asked by Paramount Pictures to create an entrance structure for the Gladiator II premiere at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The team got to work and quickly landed on creating a Colosseum-inspired structure. (The replica couldn’t be identical—they were working on a short timeline and would need the real Colosseum’s permissions and approvals for an exact copy.) The conversation took place in early October, and by the second week of November, the structure was in place for the premiere. With an immense amount of trust from the Paramount team and the instructive to not hold back, the Avenge team worked to create the structure in a little over five weeks. 

The TCL Chinese Theatre promoting the film Gladiator II with a colosseum photo op setup on November 20, 2024 in Hollywood, California. Photo courtesy AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

The nitty gritty 

With overnight load in, the structure began setup on a Monday night and finished on Saturday morning, with work being done up until the last minute to get the final details right. A few stats: 

The team encountered a few obstacles (what’s an event without a few obstacles?), but handled them accordingly: the structure had to withstand wind and accommodate the depth of the TCL theater courtyard entrance; the timing was down to the wire with custom fabrications, including custom statues, and rush fees, especially working within the budget; and the lighting had to be perfect, accounting for wind, the sidewalk, uplit flags, and the fact that the structure would be experienced both in person by the public and online through a livestream. 

The hard work paid off—the Colosseum structure was kept up for two weeks and accommodated more events than just the premiere, including an awards ceremony and theme event hosted by the TCL itself. 

Detail of custom-made winged goddess statue for the facade of the Colosseum-like premiere entrance. Photo courtesy Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

Making the magic happen 

The Gladiator II Colosseum-like structure was a huge hit. For Tremble, that’s more of a compliment than it seems at face value—there’s extra stakes when you’re the one entertaining the entertainers. Works like Gladiator II, Wicked, and Barbie are all the results of highly creative projects; pulling from those works to make something else creative enough to wow the original people involved is a different kind of undertaking. 

Rendering technology is something he has seen come a long way since his early days in events, which is a huge help. The Avenge team can fully 3D map venues in 3D models, and they have around 20 venues in their Rolodex, meaning they can lay out ideas quickly, moving the brainstorming process along at top speed. He also notes that QR codes have opened up new avenues getting events seen in more places than onsite. 

Inspiration and technology are part of it, but Tremble insists that the true magic comes from teamwork. “I love more than anything finding people that are badass at what they do and pulling them into the team and seeing how the final product comes out.” He knows this is not a one-person endeavor, saying there’s no such thing as “I;” it’s always “we.”  

“You can’t do it all yourself. It’s sad when you see people come in with that mentality, and don’t take care of their team. I’d rather be at the top with my team than be at the top by myself.” 

The team mindset applies to more than the immediate team; it encompasses vendors and partners, even the client. He uses his hospitality background to make sure every project is built on collaboration and top-notch customer service, including maximal flexibility and availability. With an eight-person team, he says they have to kill it with service to stand out. 

Entertaining the entertainers: (L-R) Michael Pruss, Fred Hechinger, Connie Nielsen, Paul Mescal, Ridley Scott and Denzel Washington attend the "Gladiator II" Los Angeles Premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Photo courtesy Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

Putting one’s best foot forward 

Tremble fully believe that event pros should work from a place of high integrity. In the case of the Gladiator II entrance, his team went above and beyond, event when it wasn’t called for. “At the end of the day, that’s our name on that project, and I wanna make sure that’s legit, because the work will come...You’re only as good as your last event.” 

He is adamant about doing things the right way and avoiding cutting corners. Sustainability matters, too—the team reuses as much as they can for press junkets and premieres. Press walls are scenic flats that get reskinned, carpets get reused a few times before being thrown out, and they save all assets at the end of an event, reusing what they can and donating the rest to schools or Goodwill. Conversations about energy, water, and different carbon-footprint measures are happening, too. 

Taking care of his team is the other priority. In his first year of forming the company, he got full benefits for his employees, and is flexible with working from home and dealing with family matters. In return, he knows he can count on his employees to work hard and celebrate wins together. By creating a healthy team, event pros can create better products and form lasting relationships. 

“Work with good people and be a good person.” The rest, as he has seen, will follow.